U.S. strikes on Iran do not significantly change Washington’s stance on Ukraine – German expert

This opinion was expressed in a commentary to Ukrinform by Constanze Stelzenmüller, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.

“At first glance, the U.S. strikes on Iran do not change much for Ukraine in terms of the U.S. position,” Stelzenmüller said.

She noted that it remains uncertain whether further strikes will follow or whether they signal deeper U.S. involvement in the conflict.

Stelzenmüller said that the Trump administration is unlikely to provide additional funding to Kyiv or support Ukraine’s NATO membership. She also noted that the fate of the Blumenthal-Graham sanctions package remains uncertain as it awaits a vote in Congress.

The key question is whether the Trump administration would continue to permit Europe and Ukraine access to strategic U.S.-controlled resources—particularly the Starlink satellite network—if it withdraws financial aid, refrains from deploying troops, and maintains its opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership.

She noted that European nations are only now fully recognizing that Ukraine is defending their collective security. And it is now up to them to arm Ukraine and help it build its own defense industry, Stelzenmüller emphasized.

The expert noted that European nations are only now coming to fully recognize that Ukraine is safeguarding their security—and that it is now their responsibility to arm Ukraine and help it build its own defense industry.

Regarding the prospect of a European military presence in Ukraine, she expressed skepticism, citing both the absence of U.S. backing and anticipated resistance from Russia.

As reported, many experts and politicians have expressed concern that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could divert international attention from Russia’s war against Ukraine. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned that developments in the region risk pushing the issue of Ukraine to the background ahead of Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.